Big stars to race small cars at this weekend’s Mini Festival

A trio of celebrities will be competing behind the wheel of the UK’s favourite small car this weekend (22/23 June) at the Brands Hatch Mini Festival in association with Mini Sport.
Celebrity chef James Martin, Kelvin Fletcher, better known to soap fans as Andy Sugden in Emmerdale, and rock superstar Brian Johnson are all confirmed to race at this weekend’s event in some classic Minis.
The trio will come face-to-face in the two 25 minute legs of a special Anglo-French Battle, which sees original Cooper S racers from both sides of the channel go head-to-head.
James Martin, who raced at the event last year, has entered in three different classes throughout the weekend, including a 40 minute endurance race for pre 1966 Minis and an All Comers race open to all variants of the car, including highly modified versions.
Kelvin Fletcher has been racing regularly over the past year in the Mighty Minis championship and more recently in the Porsche GT3 Cup UK. He’s back in the seat of a Mini this weekend in the faster Super Mighty Mini class and will join Martin in the Pre ’66 Sanwa Trophy Mini Endurance race as well as the Anglo-French Battle.
AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson has even more recent experience of the Kent circuit after taking part in the Masters Festival in May aboard an Austin Mini Cooper S.
Speaking during the Masters Festival, Johnson said: "I've got old tapes of archive footage of Brands Hatch from the 60s and nothing has changed apart from some catch fencing and these big gravel traps. This is such a classic track, every corner is brilliant and at this one (Paddock) you need massive courage! Even coming down the straight you've got dips and crests, it's such a pleasure to drive it."Tags:Mini